Facebook Caught Asking Some Users Passwords for Their Email Accounts

Generally, social media or any other online service asks users
to confirm a secret code or a unique URL sent to the email address
they provided for the account registration.

However, Facebook has been found asking some newly-registered
users to provide the social network with the passwords to their
email accounts, which according to security experts is a terrible
idea that could threaten privacy and security of its users.

First noticed by Twitter account e-Sushi using the handle
@originalesushi, Facebook has been prompting users to hand over
their passwords for third-party email services, so that the company
can “automatically” verify their email addresses.

However, the prompt only appears for email accounts from certain
email providers which Facebook considers to be suspicious.

In a statement provided to the Daily Beast,
Facebook confirmed the existence of such “dubious” verification
process but also claimed it doesn’t store the user-provided email
passwords on its server.
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Facebook also said it would end the practice of asking for email
passwords altogether.

“We understand the password verification option isn’t the best
way to go about this, so we are going to stop offering it,”
Facebook said.

Facebook also noted that the users asked for their email
passwords as a means of verifying their accounts could opt for
other verification methods such as a passcode sent to their phone
number or a link to their email address by clicking the “Need
help?” button on the page.

Some previously
reported Facebook security and privacy
controversies:

The bottom line: As always recommended, you are never, ever advised
to share your email password with anyone, or enter it into any
website or any social media service, except the email service for
which it is intended in order to avoid your passwords being stolen
using “phishing attacks.”